"In a last message to her friends, Ifunanya Nwangene wrote: Please come. The 26-year-old singer and former contestant on The Voice Nigeria had been bitten by a snake while asleep in her flat in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, and was in hospital, anxiously awaiting treatment. Despite rushing to seek care, Nwangene died a few hours after being bitten, as her friend waited at a pharmacy to buy the antivenom she needed."
"Snakebites kill one person every five minutes globally up to 138,000 every year, and leave 400,000 more with permanent disabilities. Many cases and deaths are thought to go unrecorded, particularly where victims seek care from traditional healers rather than hospitals. A boomslang, one of the most venomous snakes in Africa most snakebite deaths are preventable if antivenom is administered quickly."
"Campaigners say there is insufficient funding to meet the UN's goals, set in 2019, of halving deaths and disabilities from snakebites by 2030, and research investment is precarious. Snakebite envenoming is classed as a neglected tropical disease. According to the World Health Organization, most deaths from snakebites are entirely preventable if safe and effective antivenoms are available and administered swiftly. They are in the WHO's list of essential medicines,"
Ifunanya Nwangene, 26, a singer and former The Voice Nigeria contestant, was bitten by a grey snake while asleep in her Abuja flat and rushed to hospital but died a few hours later as a friend waited at a pharmacy to buy required antivenom. The death has provoked a debate over antivenom availability and funding in Nigeria. Snakebites cause up to 138,000 deaths and 400,000 disabilities annually, with many cases unrecorded. Campaigners warn that funding and research are insufficient to meet UN goals to halve deaths by 2030. WHO lists antivenoms as essential medicines and says they should be available in primary care where bites occur.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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